The present invention relates to gas generating systems for generating pressurized gases used to inflate one or more inflatable devices.
An ongoing challenge in the design of vehicle occupant protection systems is to reduce the cost and complexity of the system while meeting operational requirements. In protection systems utilizing gas generating systems or inflators to actuate inflatable elements of the protection system, it may be desirable for the gas generating system design to be flexible enough to enable the amount of gas generant and/or booster material incorporated to be varied according to the requirements of a particular application. It may also be desirable to enable incorporation of a means for shielding combustible materials in the gas generating system from excessive heat produced by a flame exterior of and impinging on the gas generating system housing. Thus, a need exists for gas generating system designs that meet these design goals.